ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke some surprise news on Wednesday morning, reporting that Washington Huskies athletic director Troy Dannen would be departing to assume the same role with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. This announcement came less than six months after Dannen took over for Jen Cohen, who left for USC’s open athletic director position.
During Dannen’s brief stint with Washington, he saw the Huskies make the national championship game and lose to Michigan before losing head coach Kalen DeBoer to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the same week.
He made big promises when it came to investing in the football program and after failing to get DeBoer to sign a contract extension, Dannen went out and hired Jedd Fisch away from Arizona. Then, he fired basketball coach Mike Hopkins and leaves Washington, and more specifically interim athletic director Erin O’Connell, in the middle of a search for the school’s next men’s basketball coach.
“This is deeply disappointing. But as a University committed to the welfare of the entire individual, we understand the need to make choices based on what’s best for one’s family. We wish Troy well,” UW president Ana Marie Cauce said in a statement.
“Leading this program is one of the greatest opportunities in the country. We’ve seen time and again how Huskies compete and win on the national stage and we are grateful for the strong support of Husky Nation, who have positioned us so well for the future. And with coach Fisch joining our group of talented coaches, who are leading teams of incredible student-athletes, our future is bright.”
While Cauce took the diplomatic route, social media had a different approach.
The huskies have been getting consistently burned by these folksy “Midwest values” hires. That shtick is a sham. Time for some slick talking deal makers that want the big city and the big market. PS. Do NOT want to hear fans complain about kids and the portal…
— Spence Needle (@spencerhawes00) March 20, 2024
UW athletics since the natty- pic.twitter.com/tmXBEqTJXV
— connor (Deathrow KP) (@keithpricetrut1) March 20, 2024
Troy Dannen was not well received by a lot of ppl at Washington. Turned a lot of ppl off. There are many, if not most at UW who are looking at this as addition by subtraction.
I’ll tell you a story at 3pm today on 93.3 KJR FM
— Dave “Softy” Mahler (@Softykjr) March 20, 2024
Many offered suggestions on who the next athletic director should be, with basketball legend Isaiah Thomas offering to throw his hat in the ring.
Damn smh!!! Man let me be the AD and or Basketball coach https://t.co/YiCdjL4KJq
— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) March 20, 2024
@Ejay1up pic.twitter.com/NVEf95mCnh
— Camden Sirmon (@camdensirmon) March 20, 2024
Throwing my hat in the ring for UW AD:
1) Won’t leave unless you fire me, and even then
2) once managed a large scale rock selling operation with a budget of $10
3) one of the only people in the world with a picture of myself with both Dubs I and Dubs II together— CokeGreaterThanPepsi (@coker_UDub) March 20, 2024
UW fans imagining how Chris Petersen reacted to the Dannen news this morning: pic.twitter.com/OivhQjdZx2
— Coach V “Here for the W” (@coachvelasco11) March 20, 2024
John Canzano added an interesting twist to the story, claiming Dannen’s family never moved to Washington.
Troy Dannen's wife and two youngest kids never moved to Washington, per UW source.
Family move date kept getting pushed back, kids in school, etc. Not sure how his departure will get spun but the family stuff matters.
Dannen's family is expected to move to Nebraska.
— John Canzano (@johncanzanobft) March 20, 2024
Others took Dannen’s a different approach to Dannen’s quick departure.
Troy Dannen era at Washington https://t.co/oweUNyjq3d pic.twitter.com/zocw7WJ1RW
— Cyclone Larry (@CycloneLarry69) March 20, 2024
I gotta give Dannen some credit. He might have only been here five minutes, but he did fire Mike Hopkins. https://t.co/gTC1RXrt2H
— alexSSN (@alexSSN) March 20, 2024
I’ve kept leftovers in my fridge longer than Troy Dannen lasted at UW.
— Max Power 🧡🎗 (@MaxMakesWine) March 20, 2024